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THE SECRETS OF 

ANIMAL MAGNETISM, 
MESMERISM, 

CLAIRVOYANCY and MIND READING 



HOW TO DEVELOP 
THE MAGNETIC POWER 

WITH CHAPTERS ON 

Thought Reading and Mental 
Impressions::^ A 



-BY-".- *. 

» t ♦ 






*• * •* .• 






JOHN D. BARNES 



Publishers 

THE PROGRESSIVE PUBLISHING CO. 

CHICAGO 



*H 



$ 



CO 
CLASS «^XX«u Wo- 

7 copy «. 






Copyright 1903 

by 

PROGRESSIVE PUBLISHING CO. 

Chicago, 111. 



V 



PREFACE. 



Many works have been heretofore published on the 
subject of Magnetism, Mesmerism, and other mysterious 
powers. The public mind has been awakened to the 
fact that these powers do exist, and as we advance with 
time, as those who read and think over what they read, 
the believers in the existence of these powers are growing 
steadily in numbers, and were those who have been con- 
vinced, many of them against a strong prejudice, of the 
power of the mysterious, they would number a vast army, 
and among its ranks would be found many of the fore- 
most thinkers of the day. 

In the preparation of this work the author has spent 
many weary months in the researches of Scientific and 
Historical records, and has endeavored to present the 
records thus obtained in a concisely published form, and 
he thereby is enabled to furnish it at a price within the 
reach of all. 

History informs us that the principles of Sympathetic 
or Animal Magnetism were known to the Ancients, but 
their practices were enshrouded in mystery . 

The Egyptian Priests used this knowledge in the per- 
formance of the holy rites of their office, and candidates 
for holy orders were initiated in its mysteries. It was 
also made use of by these holy men for the cure of dis- 
ease, and that celebrated Savant, Gregory Bishop of 
Tours used this power of Sympathetic Fascination when 



he declared to those who undertook the pilgrimage to 
the tombs: "Behold I say unto you, any person, whom- 
soever he may be, coming to these holy sepulchers, who 
shall come in faith and prayer, shall be speedily cured of 
whatsoever illness he shall be possessed." 

Let us but stop and consider the proofs of the exist- 
ence of Magnetism as shown in the every day walk of 
life. Let one of a numerous company give way to 
laughter, or, if you please, yawning, is it not contagious? 
Does it not affect others in a more or less degree? Then, 
again, is it not daily demonstrated how easily one may 
overcome the anger of another by observing a calm self- 
possession. 

Reference is made in this work to the use of Mesmerism 
as a cure for the simpler ailments to which the human 
flesh is heir to, but the author would not be understood 
as advocating the non-use of medical practitioners, but 
that its practice will serve as a great aid in performing 
cures, there can be no doubt in the minds of many thinking 
persons who will honestly, and without prejudice, peruse 
these pages. 

The author in conclusion asks your kind consideration 
of his work, firm in the belief that in its pages you will 
find both pleasure and great profit. 



PRACTICAL TEACHINGS 

OF 

MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY 



PRACTICAL TEACHINGS 



Mesmerism # Clairvoyancy 



HOW TO DEVELOP THE MAGNETIC POWER. 

To all I would say, cultivate and develop the 
Magnetic power within you to the greatest extent, 
and render yourself impervious to all other im- 
pressions ; this is essential if you mean to be a 
good mesmerist, or else in experimenting when 
others are present, you may be impressed yourself, 
and your experiment would then come to a ridicu- 
lous and premature termination. 

In the first place avoid strong and intoxicating 
drinks, spirituous liquors are particularly bad ; 
cleanse your body thoroughly every week or 
often er with warm water, rubbing the skin well 
dry with a rough towel afterwards. 

Avoid heavy eating and meats of hard digestion, 
as these render the faculties dull and heavy, the 
stomach drawing support from the brain to enable 
it to digest the food. 



PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



Avoid anger, fear and passion of every kind ; 
keep yourself calm, thoughtful, and let your diet be 
light and easy of digestion, and consisting mostly 
of fruits or vegetables. 

If you are diseased or ill, do not Mesmerize at 
all until you are quite well, or you will inflict a sad 
injury upon your subject or patient. 

The healthy may Mesmerize the sick, and with 
great advantage to the latter, but do not let the 
sick Mesmerize the healthy. 

By attending to the foregoing, and keeping 
your mind calm and collected and attaining to 
what is generally called " Self possession/ ' you 
will augment the Magnetic power within you to 
the greatest possible extent. 

Then again, in your actions, do not let yourself 
be persuaded by others, unless you are in the 
wrong, when it is manly and honorable to confess 
it, but not otherwise, for it allows the Magnetism 
of another to overcome your own, and tends to 
make you "negative," which you should be most 
careful to avoid. Therefore always aim at per- 
suading others. 

The next two points are very important ; First, 
the Eyes ; these must be practiced so as to render 
them searching and piercing, and able to with- 
stand the intent gazing of any other person. To 
do this it is necessary to gaze steadfastly at objects 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 



without wavering the eye and as long as possible ; 
the morning is considered the best time for this 
practice the mind being then fresh and free from 
the day's cares. At first the eyes become suffused 
with water, after which they will gain strength, 
and you will be enabled to gaze intently at any- 
thing for any length of time without inconveni- 
ence. This cultivation of the gaze is very neces- 
sary. 

The next point is the cultivation of the mind 
and the concentration of the thoughts and ideas. 

To have this power in perfection you should 
conjure up from memory, some past event of 
which you have some slight recollection, then 
turn your attention to it with all the power you 
possess, and draw it in your mind as though it 
were present with you, think it steadily over and 
picture everything in your mind clearly. 

This concentration of the mind and the 
thoughts, should be steadily and persistently per- 
severed in until, after a while, past scenes may be 
reviewed mentally with all the vivacity and reality 
of the present. In developing thought-reading 
this is very necessary. 

It may be a little difficult at the first, but it is 
very essential, and may be soon mastered by per- 
severence. 



PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



HOW TO MESMERIZE AND OPERATE ON OTHERS. 

The following from Dr. Gregory of Mesmeric 
celebrity, I have found the best method, so will 
give it : 

"If you try the experiment of drawing the 
points of the fingers of your right hand, without 
contact, but very near, over the hands of several 
persons, downward from the wrist, the hands of the 
persons being held with the palms upwards, and 
your fingers either all abreast, or one following 
the other, and repeat this, slowly, several times, 
you will most probably find one or more, who 
very distinctly perceive a peculiar sensation, which 
is not always the same in different persons, some 
will feel a slight warmth, others a pricking, some 
will feel a tingling, and others a numbness ; such 
as perceive these sensations most distinctly, may 
then be tested, and will be found, probably, very 
clear and consistent with themselves, even if 
blindfolded, but sometimes blindfolding produces 
at once a state of nervous disturbance, most un- 
favorable to clear perception. 

" You may now, having found a person suscepti- 
ble to a certain extent, proceed to try the effects of 
passes, made slowly with both your hands down- 
wards, from the crown of the head downwards, 
over the face to the pit of the stomach, or even 
down to the feet, avoiding contact, but keeping 
as near as possible without contact ; or you may 
make the passes laterally, and so downward over 
the arms. 

"It is necessary to act with a cool and deter- 



MESMERISM AND CLA1RVOYANCY. 



mined mind, and firm will, while the patient is 
perfectly passive, and undisturbed by the voice or 
otherwise ; he ought to look steadily at the eyes 
of the operator, who in his turn ought to gaze 
firmly at his subject. 

"The passes should be continued ratiently for 
some time and will generally excite the sensations 
before mentioned, viz., warmth, coolness, prick- 
ing, tinkling, creeping of the skin, or numbness, 
according to the person on whom you operate. 

"When these sensations are very marked, the 
subject will, in all probability turn out a good 
one. 

"It is probable that with patience andpersever- 
ence a vigorous healthy operator would finally 
succeed in affecting all persons, but in some cases 
which have afterwards become very sensitive, the 
subject has only been affected at first with great 
difficulty, and only after much perseverence, or 
even has not been at all affected at the first, nay, 
even for many successive trials. 

"The operator must not be discouraged, if he 
perseveres the chances of success are much in- 
creased, whilst he will often meet with cases in 
which a few minutes will suffice to produce strong 
effects. 

"Another, and in some cases a more successful 
method, is to sit down close to, and before the 
patient, to take hold of his thumbs in your hands 
and fingers and gently pressing them, to gaze 
steadfastly in his eyes, concentrating your mind- 
upon him, while he does the same, this is at least 
in the beginning less fatiguing, than making the 



JO PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



new and unaccustomed motion of the passes ; 
although with a little practice it is easy to make 
several hundred passes uninterruptedly. 

"I cannot give a decided preference to either 
method, both will sometimes fail and both are 
often successful, they may be combined, that is, 
alternately, and often with advantage. 

"Two things are desirable; first, a passive and 
willing state of mind in the patient, although 
faith in Mesmerism is not at all necessary, but a 
bonaflde passivity or willingness on the part of the 
patient to be operated on ; this, however, signifies 
little in susceptible cases. 

"Secondly — Intense concentration of the mind 
on the part of the operator. It is self evident 
that to obtain this, perfect silence is necessary. 

" The time required varies from a few minutes to 
an hour or more, but usually diminishes on repeti- 
tion. 

" Intent gazing alone, especially if well practiced 
by both parties, will often produce the sensations 
above named without close proximity." 

Thus far for Dr. Gregory, all of which I endorse; 
some operators use a disc or bright piece of metal, 
at which the patient gazes, whilst the operator 
makes the passes ; this in some cases is preferable 
to intent gazing, which in public or amongst 
friends would appear highly ludicrous. 



THE MESMERIC SLEEP. 

"The same practices" continues Dr. Gregory 
: when continued longer give rise to phenomena 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. II 



still more striking, and I shall now proceed to 
these while it is unnecessary to repeat the details 
of the passes, which as already said, suffice to pro- 
duce the whole train of Mesmeric phenomena. 

"The first is twitching of the eye-lids which 
begin to droop, when, even where the eye-lids are. 
open, there is in many cases a veil as it were, 
drawn before the eyes, concealing the operator's 
face and other objects. Now soon comes on a 
drowsiness, and after a time all consciousness is 
lost suddenly, and on awaking, the patient has no 
idea whatever, how long it is since he fell asleep, 
nor what has occurred during his sleep, the whole 
is a blank, but he generally wakes up with a deep 
sigh rather suddenly, and says he has had a very 
pleasant slumber, without the least idea whether 
for five minutes or five hours ; he has been more 
or less deeply in the Mesmeric Sleep, it is a state 
of somnambulism, sleep walking, or more cor- 
rectly sleep-waking; It is a sound, calm, and 
undisturbed sleep, that is, it is not broken by 
gleams of ordinary consciousness, but the sleeper 
answers when spoken to by the mesmerist, and 
answers rationally and sensibly, If desired he 
will rise and walk with his eyes closed, or if open, 
either turned up or insensible to the light, 

"When the subject has become fully asleep so as 
to answer questions readily ' and without waking, 
there is almost always observed a great and 
remarkable change in the face and countenance, 
the manner and voice. 

"On falling to sleep, at first he looks perhaps 
drowsy and sleepy, like a person dozing at church, 



PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



or at a table, or overcome by fatigue, or stupified 
by drink, but when spoken to, he usually brightens 
and although his eves may be closed, yet the 
expression becomes sprightly and intelligent, quite 
as much so as if he saw, and the deeper the Mes- 
meric Sleep, the more bright and intelligent 
becomes the look and the countenance. Clair- 
voyance is but a deep Mesmeric Sleep.' ' 

When it is desired to awake the patient, you 
must make a few reverse passes, that is from the 
pit of the stomach upwards over the head, and give 
him a gentle but sudden shake, and say to him, 
" You are all right now. ' ' 

Do not handle him roughly. 



CLAIRVOYANCE, 

Mesmeric Clairvoyance is produced by the 
passes as before taught. 

It is rarely that a person becomes clairvoyant at 
the first sitting, but such cases are not altogether 
quite unknown, clairvoyance usually comes on by 
degrees, the sleep becoming deeper and more 
perfect at each succeeding sitting. 

When you have produced a deep sleep upon 
your patient, you must gently tell him that you 
wish him to visit a certain place, and which you 
will describe to him, if he hesitates you must try 
and persuade him, but if he still objects, it is 
better to defer it until another sitting; if he 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 1 3 

expresses a willingness to go, as is generally the 
case, ask him how the house is situated, the win- 
dows or surroundings, or such other characteristics 
as you know belong to the place, if he does not 
give a very correct account, it is probable he has 
gone to the wrong place, in which case you musr 
explain it more fully to him. 

We must here touch on " Phrenology ;" It 
will be well to buy a small phrenological head, 
which can be obtained at most chemists for about 
a dollar, as this will show the location of the dif- 
ferent organs,' much better than can be described 
on paper. 

When the patient is in the Mesmeric Sleep, the 
operator can produce wonderful phenomena, by 
exciting the different phrenological organs of the 
brain. 

The organ termed " Individuality." situated 
just above the nose, is the principal one to bring 
the patient into the Mesmeric Sleep, by pointing 
at this (for it is not necessary to touch it) he will 
tell you on being asked, about himself and his 
own affairs, his ailments, and what is best for his 
health, this organ bringing the mind into the 
.fittest state for interrogation. 

Another organ is "Combativeness/' situated at 
the back of the ears, which being pointed at, 
will cause him to strike furiously at anybody or 



14 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

anything in front of him, and to put himself in a 
very pugnacious attitude. 

By exciting "Mirthfulness," he will laugh and 
display the greatest hilarity, and each other organ 
possesses its own peculiar qualities. 

Now the reason I have brought phrenology in, 
is this, that sometimes the patient in the Mesmeric 
Sleep cannot see, speak, or hear andibly or plainly, 
in such case it is necessary to excite certain 
organs. 

For instance if in his clairvoyant travels he 
says it is dark so that he cannot see, you must 
point your fingers towards his eyes and say, 
" Now you can see.' 7 

Then again in answering questions or speaking, 
if he articulates inaudibly, or mumbles, so you 
cannot understand what he is saying, excite the 
organ of language which is situated just beneath 
the eyes, and he will then immediately speak 
plainly. 

Again should he hear imperfectly, point towards 
the ear with your fingers and say, "Now you can 
hear," when his hearing will become perfect. 

In Clairvoyance it is most essential to have the 
organs of hearing, seeing, and speaking well 
excited and developed, that he may be able to 
tell what he hears and sees in his travels. 

The deeper stages of clairvoyance, can only be 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 1 5 

arrived at by practice, frequent sittings, and com- 
plete control over the patient ; by degrees the 
mind will become more lucid, and not only able 
to tell of the past and present, and not only able 
to describe far off places and visit far off friends, 
but also to obtain glimpses into the obscure future. 

There has been discovered no limits to the 
lucidity of the clairvoyant ; walls and the habita- 
tions of men, are no hindrance to the flight of 
the spirit, it can pass through fire, through air, 
through water, through earth, and limit there is 
nonel 

The higher the degrees of clairvoyance, the 
more angelic and benefic becomes the presence 
and countenance, which assumes a most angelic 
expression, especially with females, whose faces 
usually become bright and radiant as with joy. 

Think not reader that without patience and 
little trouble you can get your subject into this 
desirable state of Mesmeric Sleep, what you must 
do is to practice and persevere, and if your subject 
does not progress satisfactorily, which is some- 
times the case, and is no fault on either side, for 
all persons are not formed alike, then seek 
another, and experiment; generally females are 
better than males, their senses being more pene- 
trating, susceptible, and keen, and their nerves 
sensitive ; children also form very excellent sub- 



l6 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



jects for Mesmerism, and are very easily acted 
upon. 

You will, generally, and I may say, almost 
invariably find each succeeding sleep deeper than 
the last. 

It now remains for you to operate and also cul- 
tivate the Mesmeric influence. 

Never use force at anytime, or insist on the 
patient doing any thing, as this is very injurious 
to the patient, and gives rise to a feeling of antip- 
athy, which is most desirable to avoid. 

With respect to absent friends, it is better to 
place their letter, or a lock of their hair, or a 
piece of their clothing, or any thing else that 
belongs to them, in the patient's hands, as this 
facilitates his tracing, or finding their where- 
abouts. 

Information may thus be learned about the dead 
as well as the living, indeed it is a most useful 
faculty ; the great pity is that it is not more exten- 
sively known ; for the discovery of murder, theft, 
etc., it would be highly valuable. 



THOUGHT READING, AND MENTAL IMPRESSIONS. 

With this you require the power of drawing 
pictures in your brain, or the power of vividly 
producing anything in your mind. 

In the beginning of the lessons, instruction is 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. I 7 

given how to develop this power. Once you are 
able to picture past events clearly in your mind, 
thought reading becomes easy work, but until you 
can do this, it is best deferred, or it will end in a 
muddle and without any satisfactory results. 

You will therefore first produce on your patient 
the Mesmeric Sleep, the deeper the better, then 
picture or think vehemently in your mind of what 
you desire he should know, and make what we 
should call " communicatory passes ; M these passes 
are what you may see in every day life; or when 
one person is trying to make another understand 
his meaning, he uses his hands as well as his 
tongue, and this manual motion is done quite 
unconsciously, but yet it is very patent, in short, 
you throw with the hands as it were, your thoughts 
towards him, and with intense concentration of 
the mind you gaze at him, when your thoughts 
will become known to him. 

At first some blundering may occur, practice 
and patience is the only remedy for this, coupled 
with the " communicatory " passes and a clear 
and determined mind. 

Should you wish him to read the thoughts or 
impressions of anyone present, you must join their 
hands for a few minutes, remaining yourself 
entirely passive, as the patient is more susceptible 
to your impression than that of any other person, 



1 8 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

therefore passivity on your part is very necessary. 

Let any person write a name or any number, or 
word, or sentence, and fold it up and put it in a 
nut or box, or seal it up and hand it to him, he 
will tell what it is exactly, and without seeing or 
opening the box. 

This, and a thousand other experiments or tests 
may be given, and in your method of practicing, 
other experiments will present themselves, and 
other phenomena no less astonishing, but what- 
ever occurs in any experiment, do not loose your 
self possession, but be calm and de-magnetize by 
making the reverse passes as before taught. 



GENERAL ADVICE. 

When you have once Mesmerized a person never 
allow any one else to Mesmerize until the patient has 
fully recovered from the effects of your Magnetism, 
otherwise you will be liable to injure the patient 
and produce convulsions, and a series of evil con- 
sequences, leaving the patient in a Yery weak and 
prostrate state. 

Allow no unhealthy or evilly disposed person 
to Mesmerize you, nor yet any one else at any 
time if you can avoid it, for, when Mesmerized 
you are completely under their control. You 
should therefore only allow those who are strictly 
honorable to Mesmerize you, otherwise it will be 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 1 9 

particularly bad and dangerous, depraving the 
morals and having other bad and lasting effects. 
Females should be very particular in this respect, 
and allow no stranger to influence them. 

The student will observe that all the wonderful 
phenomena are produced by the simple passes or 
the intent gazing, as taught in the beginning of 
these lessons, and that thought-reading, clairvoy- 
ance, and a host of other things, are simply the 
result of continued and persistent experiments, 
and resulting in deep sleep, for the sleep is usually 
deeper at every subsequent sitting. One hour a 
day and in the morning is the best time for 
experimenting. 

As soon as the operator feels fatigued he should 
give over and operate again the succeeding day, 
and at the same hour, and continue it until sleep 
is produced, bearing in mind that if it be not 
produced at the first sitting that the labor is not 
lost, so no disappointment should be felt, but the 
operation should be continued daily until sleep is 
produced. 

The chief things are : A passive and willing 
patient, and a strong, healthy and vigorous oper- 
ator. — 

THE MESMERIZING OF ANIMALS, VEGETABLES, AND 
OTHER THINGS 

There is but little difference between the Mes- 



20 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

merizing of animals, and that of human beings, 
every one of either, are more or less susceptible 
to the influence. 

For animals, make passes from the head down 
the back to the tail, continue this for a short time 
when the eyes will become heavy, then pass your 
hand over them when they will become fixed, and 
the animal will fall asleep, You may then experi- 
ment with it as you wish, although unless you are 
watchful, they are liable to wake at any little noise 
or interruption. 

Should an animal be ill or full of restlessness, 
Mesmerize it into a deep sleep once every day, 
and let it awake of its own accord and naturally. 
Fqr such animals as are ferocious, and cannot 
be controlled or approached, at first the Magnetiz- 
ing is a tedious performance, and cannot be 
hastily performed, except after much labor, 

You must starfi in front of the animal, fixing 
your eyes steadily on his, and make passes towards 
him as with a human being until he is subdued, 
and either falls asleep or drops down, when he 
may be approached and put into a deep sleep by 
continued passes. 

With birds make passes over and around the 
cage, and continue them until the eyes close and 
the bird falls asleep, when you may handle and 
act with it as you please. 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 



To induce an animal to follow you, you must 
make passes over his head and down his back for 
about ten or fifteen minutes, then go in front of 
him and make what are called " drawing passes/ ' 
that is, as if you were pulling a rope from him to 
yourself, breathe into his nostrils a few times, and 
the animal will follow you anywhere you go. 

After Mesmerizing a human being you may 
draw him towards you by these drawing passes, 
and he will follow you much the same as an 
animal. 

To repel or keep back a human creature, or an 
animal, make passes as though you were pushing 
it from you, and let your mind be strongly 
impressed with what you desire to accomplish. 

How often in everyday life is "goraway," 
" get away," and other similar ejaculations 
accompanied by a motion of the hand, or a "re- 
pelling pass," although it m* done quite uncon- 
sciously. 

In experimenting with healthy animals it is 
always best to de-magnetise them by making a 
few reverse passes, the same as for a human being, 
and see that they are fully awake. 



THE MESMERIZING OF VEGETABLES, FURNITURE, 
WATER, AND OTHER THINGS. 

With flowers, vegetables, or plants, you will 



PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



proceed to make passes, down and around the 
plant, from the top to the roots, say for the space 
of fifteen minutes, and breathe on the ground 
about the roots. 

No visible effect can be expected at the time, 
but plants and vegetables will grow quicker and 
more luxuriously after being mesmerized than 
they did before. 

With furniture and other inanimate things pro- 
ceed as follows : 

Say for instance you wish to Mesmerize a chair, 
door-post, threshold, table, or anything else, to 
produce a certain effect upon the first person who 
enters or comes in contact with them. Make 
passes down the back of the chair to the feet, 
then down the front, over the seat, down the legs 
to the floor, and with other articles of furniture 
make passes from the top to the bottom, and on 
both sides of it. 

The impression you wish to convey must be 
very powerfully kept in your mind all during the 
operation, and the will must be firm and deter- 
mined. 

Professor Mesmer, who first brought Mesmerism 
into practical use ; when he Mesmerized trees, he 
used to fold his arms around it for several minutes, 
then make passes towards the summit, and thence 
down the trunk, in the direction of the principal 



MESMERISM AND CLAIR VOYANCY. 23 

limbs, then finished by mesmerizing the ground 
around it. 

For water, make passes over the surface, and 
pass the hands through it, and breathe upon it 
several times successively. 

The student will remember that the longer he 
continues the operation, the more powerful the 
utensil or other article will be mesmerized. 

Magnetized water is good for plants and animals 
tending to keep them in health and invigorating 
their growth. 

A sensitive person or one brought under the 
influence of Mesmerism will be able to tell at once 
what articles are mesmerized and what are not. 

Suppose you Mesmerize a chair, and ask your 
patient to sit therein, it is highly probable he will 
fall asleep on seating himself. Then again show 
him a mesmerized stone, plant, water, or anything 
else, and it will produce the same effect. 

Again, Mesmerize a certain place in the floor 
over which he must pass, and if you Will in your 
mind, that he shall not pass that spot, as soon as 
he enters it, he is fixed steadfastly to the ground 
and cannot move, this refers to those whom you 
have mesmerized at least once ; others in passing 
the spot would only perceive a certain impression, 
which they might or might not heed or notice. 

And thus far with respect to the general prac- 



24 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

tises of Mesmerism ; the phenomena and the 
effects may be varied in scores of different ways, 
according to the will of the operator. 

The whole train of Mesmeric phenomena, hangs 
on the simple yet powerful passes, as mentioned 
in the fore part of these pages. 

When a patient is once controlled or put to 
sleep by you, it is only the practise of a few min- 
utes to control him at any future time. 

We will now turn our attention to the healing 
properties of human magnetism, and which is very 
important, and can effect very wonderful results 
by its continuance. 

HEALING MAGNETISM, 

In India and the East, healing by Mesmerism has 
been practiced from time immemorial, and is well 
known amongst the American Indians, and the 
Aborigines of other countries ; and even in the 
common affairs of every- day life, how much do 
we see of it. 

It is as natural to hold your hand against the 
part that aches, as it is to drink when you are dry, 
and this very natural and common application of 
the hand, frequently eases the pain, and would do 
so more, were it to be continued longer and by 
another person, the mind at the same time being 
strong and resolute in the determination to eject 
the pain. 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 25 

A few strokes of the hand over the head will 
almost always cure pain of the head. 



HOW TO REMOVE PAIN FROM THE HEAD, OR ANY 
OF THE LIMBS. 

Make the passes downwards from the top of the 
limb or crown of the head to its extremity, and 
after every pass, shake the hands, as though you 
were shaking something from them, and continue 
this for some time when the pain will gradually 
cease ; if you do not shake your hands after each 
pass, it is most likely you will receive the pain 
yourself. 



FOR RHEUMATISM, ACUTE AND CHRONIC. 

Mesmerize the parts well by making the passes, 
shaking the hands after each pass as before 
taught; also apply new flannel, which has been 
well mesmerized to the parts, or mesmerized paper 
is very good. Apply a silk handkerchief over 
the part most affected, and breathe upon the part 
through it several times, 

Your mind should be generously disposed and 
be possessed with a sincere desire to benefit the 
patient, and drive away the pain. 

If the person has been once or more put into 
the Mesmeric Sleep, this operation will give 
instant relief, if not, then the relief will be 



26 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

gradual in accordance with the mesmeric power 
the operator possesses, and the degree of real 
earnestness in his mind. 

Therefore it is most essential to produce the 
sleep, as ever after that it is but momentary work 
to relieve any pain, to produce refreshing sleep, 
or to render any surgical operation painless and 
safe in every way. 

DEAFNESS AND BLINDNESS- 

For deafness make passes over the ear and 
breathe upon it, and pour Mesmerized salad oil 
into it, then apply wool, and if the wool be mes- 
merized so much the better, repeat the operation 
as often as convenient. 

If only one ear be affected, it will yet be better 
to Mesmerize both sides of the head. 

For blindness make passes over the eyes, and 
down the nose, breathe upon the eyes through 
flannel, and bathe them with water that has been 
mesmerized, and cover them with a mesmerized 
cloth. 

Where deafness or blindness is not the result of 
an accident or malformation the cure is easy, but 
when the organ is injured or misformed it is 
doubtful, but ought to be tried. 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 27 



FOR INSANITY AND MENTAL AFFECTIONS, NOT RE- 
SULTING FROM ACCIDENT OR MALFORMATION. 

Make passes down the spine of the back and 
get the patient to sleep as soon as possible, then 
Mesmerize him very thoroughly into a deep sleep, 
repeat this once or twice daily ; let him sleep at 
least two hours, then de-mesmerize and awake 
him. 

Let the food that he takes be Mesmerized ; if 
the heart be weak, excite its action by a few gen- 
tle passes over the region of the heart, and when 
asleep, breathe upon his forehead through flannel. 

The mind of the operator should be most 
benevolently disposed, and possessed with an 
ardent desire to do him good. 

This is essential in all curative operations. 

It is the principal difference between curative 
and phenomenal Mesmerism ; in the former your 
mind should be anxious to do good, but in the 
latter it should have the desired phenomena in 
view and strongly impressed upon it, but I have 
spoken of the necessity of this many times already. 

The method of treating insanity is applicable 
to fits, the falling sickness, giddiness, and tempo- 
rary loss of reason or memory. 



FOR BURNS, SCALDS, WOUNDS, ETC. 

First, Mesmerize well the injured parts by con- 



28 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

tinued passes, then breathe upon the parts, and if 
it be a scald, or wound, or burn, apply Mes- 
merized salad oil to it, afterwards apply a bandage 
that has been mesmerized by the breath, until it 
is quite moist, and treat daily in this manner. 



HOW TO MESMERIZE PAPER, WATER, FLANNEL, AND 
OTHER THINGS FOR CURATIVE PURPOSES. 

All things can be Mesmerized very speedily and 
effectually too, and Mesmerized paper, clothes, 
flannels, etc., are useful to send long distances, 
for it is as easy to treat a person at a distance as 
at home provided you have once if not more put 
them into the Mesmeric Sleep. Cases of this 
description are constantly occurring to almost 
every practitioner. 

Having selected the article you wish to Mes- 
merize, you must proceed to make passes length- 
ways of it, say for ten or fifteen minutes, then 
breathe upon it for five minutes more, and it will 
then be ready for your use. 



FOR WATER, BATHS, AND LIQUIDS. 

Make long and slow passes over them and in 
the case of water or baths make the passes by 
passing or drawing the hands through them, and 
finish the operation by breathing upon them sev- 
eral times ; keep your mind in the benevolent 
condition as before taught, 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 29 



Pains in the head, muscular contractions, tooth- 
ache, ear-ache, cramps and a host of other aches 
and pains can be cured effectually by Mesmerism. 

In relieving pain it is not always necessary to 
send a person to sleep, unless the pain be severe 
and the frame much exhausted. 



FOR SMALLPOX, MEASLES, AND FEVERS, AND OTHER 
TEMPORARY ATTACKS OF SICKNESS OR INDISPO- 
SITION. 

Mesmerize thoroughly the whole body by mak- 
ing long passes from the head down to the feet, 
and shaking the contamination off at each pass as 
before taught. 

If the fever induces restlessness as it usually 
does, then put the patient to sleep and keep him 
in that state until it subsides, bearing in mind that 
he is better able to eat and drink when under 
control, then he is when awake, it is a good thing 
also to Mesmerize the food and drink that he 
takes. 

FOR INFLAMMATION, WOUNDS, ETC. 

Make passes over and around the affected parts, 
and finish by gently breathing upon them. 

For wounds, these can be speedily healed by 
saliva, first, rinse and cleanse your mouth well 
with tepid water, then apply the saliva, to the 
wounds 



30 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

This saliva possesses a most powerful healing 
action. 

Cats and other animals when wounded invari- 
ably lick their wounds until they are healed. 

A Mesmerizer should be an acute observer of 
nature and creation, from which invaluable lessons 
may be learned and much information gained. 

One word of caution in treating the sick, do 
not make an upward pass, and in all your opera- 
tions let the passes be made from top to bottom, 
as the magnetic fluid has a great tendency to 
ascend. 

ADVICE. 

First cultivate your passions, and have them all 
well under control, so that anger and passion may 
be unknown to you, then cultivate the mind as 
before taught, both as to concentration and the 
drawing of mind pictures, which are very essen- 
tial for thought-reading ; also cultivate the gaze, 
that the eyes may be firm, fixed and very pene- 
trating. 

Attend also to your habits of eating and drink- 
ing, avoid all exeesses, live temperately, only eat- 
ing such food as will easily digest ; avoid heavy 
drinking. 

These are the primary conditions. 

You should practise making the passes so that 
when you are Mesmerizing you can continue for 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 3 I 

some time without any feeling of fatigue. Make 
them from the head, straight down to the pit of 
the stomach, or even to the feet ; in bringing the 
hands up again, extend them on each side so that 
they form a kind of semi-circle. 



In experimenting, never get flurried or excited, 
if you cannot control at the first sitting, try again. 

You must remember that every thing takes time 
and patience, and that every thing in connection 
with Mesmerism is produced by the simple passes 
or the gazing, and the concentration of the mind. 

These as before said, suffice to produce every 
known phenomena in connection with animal 
magnetism or mesmerism, whether it be healing, 
phenomenal, or otherwise. 



NOTES. 

It may be observed that distance forms no 
obstacle to the action of the Mesmeric influence 
of the operator, although it may possibly weaken 
or retard it to some extent. 

Not only may the subject be put to sleep by 
the silent will of the operator, but he may be 
made also to exhibit all the phenomena already 
mentioned as possible, in fact he can be controlled 
as well by the silent will, as by the audible sounds 



PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



of the operator, and will go and come, and per- 
form any act the Mesmerist may desire. 

Another remarkable fact is the kind of attrac- 
tion, the subject or patient feels towards the oper- 
ator, and which the latter can very powerfully 
exert in almost every case. 

The patient will feel a great desire to approach 
him, and, if prevented will use great force to 
overcome the difficulty or hindrance, and the only 
explanation he can give of his behavior is, that 
he will say that he felt irresistably drawn towards 
him. 

This peculiar attraction may also be exhibited 
at a distance, and scarcely any obstacle will stop 
the patient ; this attraction sometimes happens 
even in the conscious state. 

In some cases the patient will have a liking for 
the Mesmerist, I mean in the ordinary waking 
state of the patient. 

If the Mesmerist orders the patient to do a cer- 
tain thing, at a certain time after waking, he will 
do so, or however ridiculous or nonsensical the 
act may be, the patient feels bound to do it, and 
if thwarted he will use great force and determina- 
tion to accomplish it, and if questioned will say 
he must do it, or that he feels compelled to do it, 
and he will carry out his orders faithfully. 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 33 

The ordinary loadstones or magnets do act on 
the human body; when passes are made with 
them the same feelings or sensations are experi- 
enced as when the operator uses his hands. 

It is possible that the use of the magnet may be 
combined with that of the operator, but by using 
the magnet without the hand it is ascertained that 
it does exert an influence identical with that of 
the human body, or the hand. 

This influence may even go so far as to pro- 
duce, even at a great distance, a state of uncon- 
sciousness, as well as the Mesmeric Sleep. 

This influence is conducted or passes through 
all matter, and nothing can arrest its action. 



Crystals are also powerfully mesmeric, and by 
their action on the brain, produces a kind of 
clairvoyance, when visions or objects are seen in 
the crystal ; and it is very probable that crystal 
visions are the res\ilt of its mesmeric action on 
the brain. 

All nature is linked together by Mesmerism or 
Magnetism, for they are one and the same thing 
although under different names. 



The Arabian Magicians when they exercise 
their Magnetic power, procure a young lad under 
ten, and pour a drop of ink in his hand, and 



34 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

burn some suffumigations, using incantations, then 
Mesmerize the lad when he sees all kinds of 
visions of distant persons and objects. 

Music also, always forms part of the Magicians 
ceremonies, and when he wishes to cause those 
who consult him to see visions, that is, to become 
clairvoyant he always uses soft music, and some 
kind of suffumigations unknown to Europeans. 



When in the Mesmeric Sleep, music has a won- 
derful effect upon the patient, thus a waltz or piece 
of dance music will cause him to dance with 
singular grace and elegance, it matters not whether 
he understands dancing or not, but his actions 
are very marked. 

A slow and solemn strain will readily cause 
them to kneel and pray or join the devotional 
music. 

A warlike air will cause them to strut about and 
put themselves into a very fierce and pugnacious 
attitude. 

Not only are their attitudes and gestures true to 
nature, but this truthfulness extends to all that is 
said by the sleeper, and when he speaks it is in 
the most conscious strain or conscientious manner. 



It is to be observed that those who are slowly 
and gradually brought up to a high degree of 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 35 

susceptibility, make the best subjects ; at all events 
the operator should never be discouraged by want 
of complete success in his first trials. 

Casts are on record in which the sleep has not 
been produced until after hundreds of experi- 
ments, and yet become at last very deep and 
resulted in splendid phenomena. 

There is no doubt that we all possess the power 
to Mesmerize each other, though in different 
degrees, and every one may be t mesmerized by 
patience and perseverance on the part of the 
operator. 

It also appears that a person of a very marked 
temperament most leadily effect those of an oppo- 
site temperament; thus a person of a nervous 
bilious temperament, will succeed best with sub- 
jects who are sanguine lymphatic. 



Sympathy often produces a strong liking or 
attraction between two parties who see each other 
for the first time. 

It arises from a pleasing agreement or corres- 
pondence of the Mesmeric condition of the par- 
ties, and this is often very durable and lasting. 

It is well known that many persons quarrel after 
being long together, yet are quite wretched if 
separated, and infallibly come together again. 



36 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

There are also antipathies equally strong, every 
one has seen or felt the repulsion exercised on 
himself and others by certain individuals, and 
this hatred or antipathy often lasts for life, 

But antipathy is more strongly marked by per- 
sons in the Mesmeric Sleep, some of whom cannot 
bear the approach of other persons, others cannot 
endure the presence of a cat or dog, or a mouse, 
or even a fly or spider, and if carefully concealed 
from them they will yet be aware of its presence, 
and if the obnoxious creature be not removed, 
the patient may faint or go into convulsions. 

Some cannot endure a rose, an apple, pear, 
currant or other fruit or vegetable. Some object 
to articles of food ; others object to drink, and 
sll these antipathies are so strong, that the mere 
presence of the object is sufficient to produce very 
bad effects on the patient, 



It often happens that a clairvoyant who can see 
and describe very well, all that is in the same 
room, or in the next, or even in the same house 
cannot travel a distance. 

The travelling stage is a very high degree of 
lucidity, and can rarely be produced at the first 
sitting, but is generally developed by slow degrees, 
yet in some cases the patient will become highly 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 37 



clairvoyant at the first operation, but these cases 
are rare. 

Some clairvoyants possess the power of sympa- 
thising with an absent or distant person, so as to 
read their thoughts, to know their past actions, 
and even to perceive their intentions ; and this 
can be done best by placing a piece of the dress, 
or even a letter in the hand of the patient, all 
other information being withheld. 

This faculty would be uncommonly useful in 
tracing murderers, thieves, and of finding out the 
intentions of friends and foes alike. 



There is no doubt but that Magnetism exists 
in bodies both animate and inanimate, a certain 
force or influence which is felt more or less by 
certain persons who are affected by it. 

This force or influence is Magnetism, and which 
gives rise to all the phenomena we have described, 
and much other also of an equally interesting 
nature, and is also the cause of sympathy and 
antipathy between individuals. 

Primarily, Magnetism is produced by the planets, 
and by observing their condition at the birth of 
an individual, one is able to tell the special quali- 
ties of this Magnetism, but this relates to Astrology. 

The practice of Magnetism is but the exercise 
of forces, that were implanted in us at the instant 
of our birth. 



38 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

The following interesting fact will show the 
student to what good purposes Magnetism may be 
put. 

A farmer aged 23 was afflicted with an abscess 
from congestion upon the inner and upper part of 
the thigh. The surgeons that attended him 
declared that a surgical operation would be prac- 
ticable, but the operation required great prudence, 
and much resignation, because the Crural Artery 
crossed the humor, which had developed in a 
frightful manner. 

Count de B., whose Magnetic skill is very 
remarkable, purpozed plunging the patient into 
the Magnetic state, thereby to produce somnam- 
bulism, and establish insensibility upon the part 
of the body where the operation was to be per- 
formed ; in that condition he said, they might 
spare the farmer the pain and suffering inevitable 
in his present state. 

The proposition was accepted. In about two 
minutes the patient was placed in the Magnetic 
State; somnambulism immediately followed, but 
without remarkable lucidity. 

The farmer said in answer to a question put 
unto him by his Magnetizer, that he looked in 
vain for his illness ; he could not see it, nor the 
cause of it. 

At that moment the Doctor performed, with 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCV. 39 

the greatest skill, the operation which had been 
considered necessary. 

He applied the bistoury several times and pro- 
duced the desi-ed effect. The dressing was then 
made in the usual manner. 

During the whole of the operation the patient 
remained immovable as a statue ; his Magnetic 
Sleep was undisturbed. 

Upon the desire or proposition of all the medi- 
cal men, Count de B. destroyed the Magnetic 
State in which the patient had been plunged and 
awoke him. 

Dr, R. then approached him, and asked whether 
he was willing to submit to the operation. " If 
it must be so " said the patient, "I will submit." 

Dr. R, then announced that it was quite useless 
to recommend it, because it was done. 

The amaze and astonishment of the patient was 
great, when they made him see the dressing. 

He had felt nothing, and only remembered the 
action of Count de B. when the latter applied the 
palm of his hand to his, the patient's, forehead 
and made him sleep. 

The above will show the reader what an excel- 
lent thing it would be if the Medical faculty would 
recognize and practice Magnetism, especially in 
the case of operating ; all danger of inflammation 
and subsequent death would then be avoided. 



40 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

Mesmer the reviver of Magnetism used to per- 
form in the following manner. 

In the centre of a large room was placed a 
circular vessel termed the "Baquet," a foot in 
height, furnished with a lid in two parts, moving 
on hinges in a central line. This lid was perfor- 
ated with holes, through which were inserted a 
number of curved and moveable iron rods. Its 
interior was filled with bottles of water, previously 
magnetized, these were placed over one another 
in such a manner that the first row had their necks 
converging towards the centre of the vessel, and 
their bases turned towards the circumference, and 
the next was arranged in an opposite position, the 
baquet itself also contained a quantity of water 
filling up the interstices between the bottles, and 
to this a quantity of iron filings, pounded glass, 
sulphur, manganese, and a variety of other sub- 
stances were occasionally added. 

The patients then stood round this apparatus, 
and applied the iron rods to the affected part of 
the body, or encircled themselves with a hoop 
suspended for that purpose. 

Sometimes they laid hold of each other by the 
thumb and index finger and formed what was 
called a ring. The operator then held an iron 
rod which he moved to and fro before them, for 



MESMERISM AND CLA1RVOYANCY. 4 1 

the purpose of directing at will the course of the 
Magnetic fluid. 

The whole apparatus of bottles, water, metallic 
rods, was supposed to facilitate the circulation of 
the fluid, and to increase the power of the process. 

Trees, water, food, and other objects were Mag- 
netized, for all bodies in nature are susceptible to 
Magnetization. 



Bear in mind that all the power lies in yourself, 
that you have simply to cultivate and exercise this* 
power in order to produce very wonderful results. 

There is nothing impossible in these lessons or 
in the art of Mesmerism ; you have simply to 
practice and persevere, and the result is sure. 



The following from Deleuze's Work on Mesmer- 
ism, will be found very instructive and interesting. 

When any one has a local pain, it is natural, 
-_a£fcer--e-stablishing a communication, to carry the 
magnetic action to the suffering part. It is not 
by passing the hands over the arms that we under- 
take to cure a sciatic ; it is not by putting the 
hand upon the stomach that we can dissipate a 
pain in the knee. 

Here are some principles to guide us. 

The Magnetic Fuid, when motion is given to it, 
draws along with it the blood, the humors, and 



42 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

the cause of the complaint. For example, if one 
has the headach, owing to the tendency of the 
blood to the head, if the forehead be hot and the 
feet very cold, by making a few passes from the 
head to the feet, and others along the legs, the 
head is relieved, and the feet become warm. If 
one has a pain in the shoulder, and the magnet- 
izer makes passes from the shoulder to the end of 
the fingers, the pain will descend with the hand \ 
it stops sometimes at the elbow, or at the wrist, 
and goes off by the hands, in which a slight per- 
spiration is perceived ; before it is entirely dissi- 
pated, a pain is sometimes felt in the lower part 
of the bowels. Magnetism seems to chase away 
and bear off with it what disturbs the equilibrium, 
and its action ceases when the equilibrium is 
restored. It is useless to search out the causes of 
these facts ; it is sufficient that experience has 
established them, for us to conduct ourselves 
accordingly, when we have no reason to do other- 
wise. 

The following rules, with some exceptions, may 
then be established : 

Accumulate and concentrate the magnetic fluid 
upon the suffering part j then draw off the pain 
towards the extremities. 

For example, do you desire to cure a pain in 
the shoulder ? hold your hand upon the shoulder 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 43 

for several minutes, then descend, and after hav- 
ing quitted the ends of the fingers, recommence 
patiently the same process. 

Would you cure a pain in the stomach ? place 
your hands several minutes upon the stomach, and 
descend to the knees. You will accumulate the 
fluid by holding your hands still; by bringing 
them down, you will draw away both the fluid and 
the pain at the same time. 



If your patient be troubled with an obstruction, 
place your hand upon the seat of it, leave it there 
for some time, either immovable, or making a 
circular motion, and draw it along towards the 
extremities. If the obstruction does not occupy 
a great space, present your fingers near without 
uniting them, because it is principally by the 
points that the fluid escapes. Turn them aside 
when you bring them away, and then move them 
towards the extremities. 

You may be assured that the motions you make 
externally, will operate sympathetically in the 
interior of the patient's body, wherever you have 
sent the fluid into if - 



If any one has received a blow behind the 
head, producing a contusion, take the head be- 
tween your two hands, conveying the action of 



44 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

your will to the seat of the injury. Then bring 
your hand down along the back, if the contusion 
is behind the head ; or down the forepart of the 
body to the knees, if it is in the front of it; or 
along the arm, if it is on the side. You will thus 
prevent the blood from tending to the head ; you 
will avoid the danger of inflammation, and prob- 
ably render bleeding unnecessary. 

If you wish to cure a burn, chilblains, or a 
felon, follow the same process. The examples I 
have just cited may be applied to most cases. I 
think that, in general, contact is useful to con- 
centrate the action, and that passes at a short 
distance are preferable for establishing and main- 
taining the Magnetic currents. Magnetic frictions 
are employed with advantage in pains of the 
limbs. 

For headache, if the pain is very great, and 
if there be heat, after having placed your hands 
upon the head for some time, withdraw them, as 
if you believed the fluid you have introduced to 
be united to that of the patient, that the mingled 
fluid stuck to your hands, and that in separating 
your hands, and shaking your fingers, you could 
draw it off again : it is in effect what you will see 
verified. If the headache proceeds from the 
stomach, this process alone will not succeed ; it 
will be necessary to act upon the stomach. If the 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 45 

blood tends to the head, it will be requisite, as I 
have said, to draw it down, and repeat the passes 
over the le^s, and over the feet. 



Place a piece of linen several times folded, or 
a fragment of woollen or cotton cloth, upon the 
suffering part ; apply the mouth above it, and 
breathe through it ; it excites a lively sensation of 
heat ; and the breath, which is charged with the 
Magnetic fluid, introduces it into the system. 

It is also observed that the heat is not merely 
at the surface, as that of hot iron would be, but 
it penetrates into the interior. After having 
employed this process, make the usual passes to 
draw off and expel the pain. 



Blowing cold air from the mouth at a distance 
produces a refreshing effect. It helps to dissipate 
the heat, which is withdrawn by presenting the 
fingers, taking care to separate them as you draw 
them off, in the usual manner. 

The head may also be cooled by putting the 
palm of the hands upon it, and holding the 
fingers elevated and separate ; the fluid passes off 
at the ends of the fingers. 



It is often impossible to draw a pain 4 far from 
the part where it is fixed ) and you will succeed 



46 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

solely by driving it off progressively, by little and 
little. A pain upon the top of the head will 
decrease at first in the centre, by waving the hands 
downward and outward, on the right and left. 

At every pass a portion will be dislodged and 
carried off. It will take more or less time to 
dissipate it entirely. 



The Magnetized person perceives a heat esca- 
ping from the ends of your fingers, when you pass 
them at a little distance before the face, although 
your hands appear cold to him, if you touch him. 
He feels this heat through his clothes, in some 
parts, er in all parts of his body before which 
your hands pass. He often compares it to water 
moderately warm, flowing over him, and this sen- 
sation precedes your hand. His legs become 
numb, especially if you do not carry your hands 
as low as his feet ; and this numbness ceases when, 
towards the close, you make passes along the legs 
to the toes, or below them. Sometimes, instead 
of communicating heat, you communicate cold ; 
sometimes also you produce heat upon one part of 
the body, and cold upon another. There is often 
induced a general warmth, and a perspiration 
more or less considerable. Pain is felt in the 
parts where the disease is seated. These pains 
change place, and descend. 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 47 

Magnetism causes the eyes to be closed. They 
are shut in such a manner that the patient cannot 
open them ; he feels a calm, a sensation of tran- 
quil enjoyment ; he grows drowsy, he sleeps ; he 
wakes when spoken to, or else he wakes of him- 
self at the end of a certain time, and finds him- 
self refreshed. 

Sometimes he enters into Somnambulism, in 
which state he hears the Magnetizer and answers 
him without awaking. 



If the patient feels the sensation of heat or 
coolness from your fingers, content yourself with 
Magnetizing with long passes. If the action of 
Magnetism excites pain in any organ, concentrate 
the action upon that organ, in order to draw it 
away afterwards. 

If there be manifested any heat or heaviness at 
the head, attract it to the knees. 

If Magnetism produces a sense of suffocation, 
or an irritation of the lungs, make passes begin- 
ning below the breasts, and continuing to the 
knees. 

If colics take place, and if they indicate, as 
they often do with women, that the circulation 
ought to be accelerated, avoid letting the hands 
stop at the breast, or even at the stomach; carry the 
action to the sides and below them ; make passes 



48 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

along the thighs, and let the hands remain some 
time upon the knees. 

If the patient have pains at the back, make 
passes along the vertebral column. 

If you see any nervous movements, calm them 
by your will, first taking the thumbs or the wrist, 
and afterwards making passes at the distance of 
several inches or even of several feet, with the 
open hand. 

If Magnetism seems to act too powerfully, 
moderate the action, and render it more soothing, 
by making the passes at a distance. 

If the patient sleep, let him sleep tranquilly 
while you continue to Magnetize him. 

When you wish to rest yourself, take the thumbs 
of the patient, or place your hands upon his knees. 

If the sitting has been long, and you are obliged 
to quit, rouse the patient gently, by telling him to 
wake, and by making passes sideways across the 
eyes. 

If the eyes are closed fast, not attended with 
sleep, open them by passes sideways, but not till 
the termination of the sitting. 

If after being roused, the patient feels anew the 
desire of sleeping, you will leave him to sleep 
alone, taking precaution that no one shall trouble 
him. 

Here I ought to observe, that the Magnetic 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 49 

Sleep is of itself essentially restorative. During 
this sleep, nature unassisted works a cure ; and it 
is often sufficient to re-established the equilibrium, 
and cure nervous complaints. 



Somnambulism is know ) it presents itself often 
in the Magnectic practice ; let us see what are 
the means of always deriving from it the greatest 
advantage, and avoiding all misuse of it. 

The first advice I shall give, is, that you never 
seek to produce Somnambulism, but to let it come 
naturally, in order to profit by it when it takes 
place. 

Many Magnetizers, in order to produce it, 
charge the head very much ; and by this means 
they often succeed in obtaining a forced slumber, 
and a reflux of blood towards the brain,, and par- 
tial crisis which are of no utility ; this method is 
not without danger. It is much better simply to 
employ Magnetism by the long pass, and not to 
charge the head more than the other parts. If 
nature is disposed to this crisis, the fluid will, of 
itself, be carried to the brain, and the tendency 
to somnambulism will be manifested by the 
patient's being in a state of tranquility, by his 
closing his eyes, and by his sleeping. You may 
then, without any inconvenience, pass the extrem- 
ities of your fingers five or six times at a short 



50 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

distance before his eyes, in order to give more 
intensity to his sleep. 

You may then ask him how he is ; or whether 
he sleeps well. Then one of these three things 
will take place ; he will wake, he will not answer, 
or he will answer. 

If he awakes, Somnambulism as not taken 
place ; and you must not think any more respect- 
ing it, in the course of that sitting. If he con- 
tinues to sleep, without answering, there is reason 
to suppose he is entering into the somnambulic 
state. If he answer without waking, and, after 
his waking, has no recollection of your speaking 
to him, the somnambulism is real. 



In case the patient continues to sleep without 
hearing you, you will continue to Magnetize him 
as I have pointed out; and you will wait, before 
you put to him a second question, until the moment 
before that at which you think the sitting should 
be terminated. 

If he makes no more answers to this question 
than to the first, you will leave him to sleep tran- 
quilly, or if you judge it necessary to rouse him, 
you may merely make transversal passes at a 
distance, bidding him to awake, in a gentle voice, 
and not commanding him in a tone of authority. 

If the patient makes a sign that he understands 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 51 

you, yet without answering, you will beware of 
urging him to speak. It is a happy thing for him 
to be by himself, to collect himself, and to accus- 
tom himself to his new condition, and to arrange 
his ideas. 

You will merely ask him to let you know by a 
motion of the head, whether he desires to be 
awakened, or to sleep longer ; and you will con- 
form yourself as much as possible to his wish. 

You will continue in the same manner during 
the succeeding sittings. Yet if this state of Mute 
Somnambulism is prolonged, you will enquire of 
him whether he hopes very soon to acquire the 
faculty of speaking ; whether you Magnetized him 
well ; if he finds himself better for it ; and you 
may make all enquiries of him which he can 
answer by a sign, and without effort. 

Have a perfect command of yourself, and 
beware of employing your will to influence your 
patient to speak, or to make his Somnambulism 
more profound. 

Have but one intention; entertain but one 
wish, that of facilitating the cure ; and leave 
nature to employ, of herself, the increase of power 
which you give him. 

It may happen that his Somnambulism will not 
proceed further \ but this is of no consequence ; it is 
not your object to render him a Somnambulist, but 



PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



to cure him. If Somnambulism was necessary, if 
his constitution rendered him susceptible of it, 
this state would spontaneously develop itself. 

Merely observe what peculiar precautions this 
Demi-somnambulism requires ; such as, not suffer- 
ing those to approach him who are not in com- 
munication with him, not to oppose him, not to 
awake him roughly, and to continue to occupy 
yourself about him. 

If your patient speaks, and to the question, 
"Do you sleep?" answers, " Yes," he is a Som- 
nambulist ; but it does not follow that he is 
endowed with clairvoyance. 

When your Somnambulist shall have given an 
affirmative answer to your first question, " Are you 
asleep?" you may address others to him. 

These questions should be simple, clear; well 
adapted, and concise; they should be made slowly, 
with an interval between them, leaving the Som- 
nambulist all the time he wishes to reflect upon 
them. 

If you have been able to suppress your curi- 
osity, which is always more or less injurious, if 
you do not suffer yourself to be astonished to see 
one who is asleep answer you with propriety, if 
you have no other end in view but the doing of 
good, if you do not think of collecting observa- 
tions, you will put only those questions which are 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 53 

necessary. The response made to the first one 
will suggest others to you, always in relation to 
the means of curing the patient. 



The following may serve as an example of the 
series of questions to be first put to your Somnam- 
bulist : 

Do you feel well? 

Does my manner of proceeding agree with you ? 

Will you point out any other mode ? 

How long shall I let you sleep? 

How shall I awake you ? 

When shall I Magnetize you again ? 

Have you any directions to give me? 

Do you think I shall succeed in curing you? 

These questions will assuredly be enough for the 
first day, when Somnambulism has been induced. 

At the next sitting it ought to be induced sooner; 
but you will not try to bring it on immediately, by 
charging the head. You will first employ Mag- 
netism by the long pass, and when your Somnam. 
bulist assures you that he is sleeping, you will let 
him have a little time longer to collect himself. 

Then, after having repeated some of the pre- 
ceding questions, you may ask him whether he sees 
where his disease is ; if he says " Yes," you may 
request him to describe it ; if he says " No," you 
may persuade him to look for it, observing to 
keep his attention to the point. 



54 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

You will take care not to form your questions 
in such a manner as to suggest replies which he 
can make without reflection, through indolence, 
or the desire of pleasing you ; you must let him 
be occupied wholly with himself, with his disease, 
and with the means of cure. 

When he has once explained to you what he 
thinks of the nature of his disease, of its causes, 
of its consequences, of the crisis he expects, you 
should ask him to search out the remedial means 
proper to be pursued in connection with Magnet- 
ism. You should listen to him attentively ; you 
should take notes of what he tells you, if you are 
fearful of forgetting it. You should ask him 
whether he is very sure of the effect which his 
prescription will produce. And if in them there 
is found anything which appears to you improper, 
you should make known to him your objections. 



You should especially take care to inform your- 
self well of the crisis which are to bring on the 
cure, that you may not be alarmed at such as he 
has announced, and that you may know well the 
mode of soothing them. 

You must be exact in Magnetizing him at the 
hour indicated by him, and by the proceses which 
he judges most appropriate. 

You must ask him what things you ought to let 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 55 

him forget, what things it is proper to warn him 
of, and what means it is proper to take to induce 
him to follow out his own prescriptions. 



When he is awake, you should let him be entire- 
ly ignorant of his being a Somnambulist, and not 
let him suspect that he has spoken, provided he 
has not of himself expressly recommended that 
you should inform him of it, either to inspire him 
with confidence in regard to anything that dis- 
turbs him, or to induce him to follow a course of 
regimen, or to do something useful, which when 
he is awake is counter to his inclination. But, in 
this case, you will merely tell him what he believ- 
ed absolutely necessary to know, and you will 
entreat him not to speak about it to any person. 

It is very rare that a patient has the curiosity 
to be informed of what he has said in a state of 
Somnambulism ; I believe, also, that it never hap- 
pens, when the Magnetizer, during Somnambulism, 
has forbidden him to meddle with it after waking. 



I have indicated the kind of conversation you 
ought to hold with your Somnambulist. I cannot 
insist too much upon a point on which chiefly 
depends the development and the direction of 
his faculties. 

I cannot give any advice in relation to the 



56 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



details, because it would not be equally applicable 
to all cases. But there is a general rule from 
which you ought never to depart ; which is, never 
on any account to permit any question of curiosity, 
any attempt to prove the lucidity of your Somnam- 
bulist ; to speak to him solely of his disease ; to 
direct all his attention to the means he ought to 
adopt for the restoration of his health, His cure 
is your essential object, your principal aim; you 
should not desert it for a moment- 



I know that one may sometimes profit by the 
confidence of a Somnambulist to combine with 
him the means of correcting his faults, and of 
rendering his conduct more regular, to break off 
dangerous associations, and in fine to apply to his 
ordinary state the elevated moral sensibility which 
he exhibits in Somnambulism. In this, one will 
not depart from the rule I have prescribed ; he 
merely gives it a greater extension. For it is 
then, in effect, a question about preventing or cur- 
ing a moral disease, more destructive than a phys- 
ical one, and which often aggravates the latter. 
You are doing right, since you have really no 
other object in view, no other idea, than the 
intention of doing good to him whom you Mag- 
netize ; and not engage him except in that which 
is most essential to him. 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 5 7 

The faculties of Somnambulists are limited ; 
their surprising penetration may be regarded as 
the effect of a concentration upon one single class 
of sensations, upon one order of ideas; the more 
their attention is distracted by various subjects, 
the less of it will they give to the essential object. 

If your Somnambulist appears to meddle with 
things which do not promote his return to health, 
employ your will to withdraw him from them ; do 
not hear him ; and especially do not appear as if 
you were astonished at the proofs which he affords 
of his lucidity. You will excite his vanity, and 
that is very dangerous ; for when you have once 
awakened in him this sentiment, to which Som- 
nambulists are in general very much inclined, you 
can no more depend upon anything. 



There is in most Somnambulists a development 
of sensibility of which we can have no concep- 
tion. 

They are susceptible of receiving influence from 
everything that surrounds them, and principally 
from living beings. They are not only affected 
by physical emanations, or the effluvia of living 
bodies ; but also, to a degree much more surpris- 
ing, by the thoughts and sentiments of those who 
surround them, or who are busy with them. 



58 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 

If you are alone with a Somnambulist, and any- 
one is permitted to enter, the Somnambulist gen- 
erally perceives it. Sometimes the person who 
enters is indifferent to him ; at other times he feels 
for him either a sympathy or an antipathy. 

In either case it decreases his concentrativeness. 

If he entertains a sympathy, his attention is 
divided ; if an antipathy, he suffers. 

If the stranger is incredulous, and suspects the 
sincerity of the Somnambulist, or makes a jest of 
what he sees, the Somnambulist is troubled, and 
loses his lucidity. 

If many witnesses surround the Somnambulist, 
and are occupied about him, the fluid of each one 
of them acts upon his organization ; and as these 
various fluids are not in harmony, he experiences 
discordant effects from them. 

If you have around you only the persons who 
desire the cure of the patient, and if you Magne- 
tize them all to put them in communication, and 
all are in good health, the Somnambulist may not 
be in the least disquieted. But it will be difficult 
to prevent many of the spectators from often 
occupying themselves with other things besides 
the patient. 

For every time they occupy themselves with 
something else, they will break the commun- 
ication, and these interruptions produce shocks 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 59 

(secousses), which disturb the tranquil reign of 
Somnambulism. 

There is sometimes among the spectators, some 
one who inspires the Somnambulist with a particu- 
lar affection, of the most exalted kind ; and that 
would turn him aside from his attention to him- 
self; the will of the Magnetizer being no longer 
active, he does not exert the same control, and 
the Somnambulism takes an irregular character. 

The greater part of Somnambulists, even in the 
hands of good Magnet izers, have lost a portion 
of their faculties because many persons in succes- 
sion have been permitted to see them. 



When a person who has no experience obtains 
for the first time some of the singular effects which 
generally precede lucid Somnambulism, he thinks 
it would be useful to get acquainted with an 
experienced Magnetizer. If he finds one, he 
entreats him to come and assist at the sittings, to 
give him instructions. This conduct, which is 
inspired by a very praiseworthy motive, is, never- 
theless, in need of precaution, and I cannot point 
out the precautions except by recalling attention 
to two phenomena, the reality of which a great 
number of Magnetic experiments demonstrate. 

First, Somnambulists, or the persons who are in 
a Magnetic state, feel the influence of those who 



6o PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



approach them, especially of such as have an 
active will. 

Second. Persons who are in the habit of Mag- 
netizing, naturally emit the fluid from them, and 
act powerfully, even without a determinate inten- 
tion, upon those who are in the Magnetic state. 



From this it follows that the presence of a Mag- 
netizer is never a matter of indifference, and that 
in certain circumstances it might be more hurtful 
than that of one who comes out of curiosity. 

If the Magnetizer disapproves of any of your 
processes, if he counteracts your action in any 
manner whatever, he will do an injury to your 
Somnambulist. This inconvenience can always 
be avoided, if he provides against it, if he is 
attentive to himself, and if, on your part, you take 
the necessary precautions. 

When, then, you desire to consult with a Mag- 
netizer, and call him in to see your Somnambulist, 
this Magnetizer must put himself in communica- 
tion with you, must submit his will to yours, must 
beware of acting alone, must occupy himself only 
in concurring to the good you wish to do, must 
not seek the reason of the processes you employ, 
must not pretend to direct you in anything, so 
that nothing shall affect your Somnambulist, except 
through you. When the sitting is ended, th$ 



MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCY. 6 1 



Magnet izer can make his observations and give 
you advice ; and, after having reflected upon the 
principles he has given you, you can adopt and 
make use of them. 



Magnetism very often assuages a fever, or at least 
its paroxysms ; it puts a stop to delirium ; it imparts 
strength at the same time, when it decreases the 
agitation of the nerves. But the violence of the 
fever sometimes opposes the establishment of the 
magnetic communication ; it appears to repel the 
action, when this action has not been previously 
established. A physician who has practiced 
Magnetism with great success, told me, that in 
very violent fevers he had obtained good effects 
by a process which I ought to mention. His 
process consists in dipping the hands into water 
acidulated with vinegar, and then to make long 
passes with the palms of the hands. He assured 
me that, by this means, he soothed the paroxysm, 
and often produced perspiration. 



MENTAL TELEPATHY, 
FAITH, HOPE, AND HEALTH 



MENTAL TELEPATHY. 

Mental Telepathy is the transmission of 
thought from one person to another. 

To the lay mind, as minds of ordinary 
individuals are observed, telepathy is re- 
garded as superhuman, superphysical and 
impossible; the reason for such opinions is, 
that individuals of this century are trained 
to be specialists in some money-earning 
capacity, and the greater the remuneration 
the greater is the tendency to direct all 
study and investigation along lines which 
appeal directly to the commercial world. It 
resolves itself into the question, what have 
I to sell? Provisions, machinery, inventions, 
skilled and unskilled labor, instruction in the 
languages, mathematics and correlated sub- 
jects, architecture, engineering, electricity, 
theology, medicine and law, will, in the 
main, be the answers. And it may be said, 
it is wonderful to observe the phenomena 
which play their part in some of the above 
enumerated subjects, and the obtuseness of 
the students and investigators when they 
admit that such an effect invariably follows 
such a cause; a theory is then formulated 
by them, and they never discover the nature 
of matter composing the cause. Telep- 



64 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



athy involves physics and chemistry, and 
in order to control these forces a will power 
is necessary. This power is acquired by 
concentration of thought and a highly pure 
condition of the physical body. That in- 
tangible element called ether forms the 
medium of transmission. 

The only argument refuting the practica- 
bility of telepathy, if any argument be 
raised, would be, that this transmission is 
invisible and inaudible. Be it so. Can you 
not momentarily change the brilliancy of 
the eyes by a thought? Can you not cause 
color to come to your cheek by a thought? 
Can you not cause the arm and hand to 
tremble at will? And any physical attempt 
to steady the arm will avail nothing until 
your will power is allowed to subside. These 
are familiar demonstrations showing that a 
thought pervades substance away from the 
Creator. Were I to refer the readers of this 
volume to the newspapers and magazines of 
highest repute printed in our own English 
language, and in which could be found cases 
where thoughts were transmitted by a pro- 
jector and translated by the receiver, there 
are some, and by some I mean the majority 
of the Anglo-Saxon race, who would not 
believe; but none is so blind as he who will 
not see. 

That the mind enables an individual to 
perform extraordinary feats is demonstrated 
in the action of an individual who has gone 



MESMERISM AND CI.AIRVOYANCY. 65 



insane. He lifts articles of such heavy weight 
as to terrorize the beholders; he wrenches 
articles from fastenings which are built to 
oppose the strength of grasp of any normal 
man; he bends iron bars. All these seem- 
ingly superhuman actions could not have 
been accomplished by him when his mind 
was in its normal condition, and, at the same 
time, appreciating the ordinary limit of his 
own strength. But then his mind disregards 
his ordinary strength and directs him to 
far surpass it; the mind takes no cognizance 
of impossibility. If this be true with 
regard to strength, it can be true in regard 
to sight- and thought. When a deep con- 
centration of mind is effected, the ether 
surrounding the individual is affected in 
this manner; the vibrations are intensified 
in their outward motion from the body and 
follow the line of least resistence ; this line 
of least resistence is disturbed should any 
other thought arise in the mind of the pro- 
jector; if the concentration is perfect, the 
quality of the current of ether reaches the in- ' 
tended receiver and is sensed by him. The 
question arises, in what manner can the 
receiver translate the vibrations? That 
same sense which makes him understand 
that he is expected to be home at a certain 
period of the day or night causes him to 
think of the individual who is projecting 
the thought to him, and to think of some 
action or word characteristic of the pro- 



66 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



jector; then some words or actions recur to 
the receiver's mind, to the exclusion of 
other thoughts; he thoroughly concentrates 
his thoughts on the recurring words or wishes, 
and it is found that the projector has con- 
centrated his thoughts on the same words 
or wishes; the harmony of thought called 
mental telepathy is the result. The fore- 
going exposition is a mere outline of the 
analysis of thought transmission, for the 
lay mind conceives but one side of the ques- 
tion, namely, the power or science of being 
able to transmit. The most important as 
well as difficult part of mental telepathy, 
is to educate the physical body to a state 
of contentment and purity which will 
promote the individual to a high state of 
sensitiveness. It is a foregone conclusion, 
that a sensitive person has greater power 
of perception than a non-sensitive person; 
he perceives occurrences and their import 
while other individuals merely see the 
same occurrences, and do not understand 
their significance. The sensitive person 
may not always correctly interpret what 
he perceives, but it is a fact that he feels 
a certain truth emanating from certain 
actions, where a non-sensitive person ar- 
rives at the same truth by guess-work and, 
worse still, by a prejudicial line of thought; 
the guess-work and the prejudicial line of 
reasoning may have had no connection with 
the affair involved, but being merely coin- 



MESMERISM AND CI.AIRVOYANCY. 67 



cident. As coincidences are rare, they 
never constitute a rule, and a non-sensitive 
individual seldom appreciates a sensitive 
one, while a sensitive individual always de- 
tects sensitive qualities in another. That 
individual who allows himself to indulge in 
all the gratifications to which he is attracted, 
cannot have a healthy body and a sound 
mental equipment. It will require an effort 
on his part to discard the unnecessary evil 
tendencies which beset him, and when ac- 
complished he is prepared to practice that 
concentration of thought required in the 
transmission of his thoughts to another. 

There is only one other concentration 
under which telepathy can work, and that 
condition is sorrow. The sorrow must be 
of the intense degree, and generally involve 
the welfare of other people . This statement 
is best illustrated by the visions, premoni- 
tions and presentiments experienced by in- 
dividuals who have made no study of telep- 
athy and its related sciences; therefore, it 
is obvious that the psychic power which 
they saw or felt was not a result of their 
own immediate preparation. On one occa- 
sion I met a man who desired to go to a 
certain quarter and get some money which 
was due him; there were certain circumstan- 
ces in the case which made it dangerous 
for the owner of the money to have it about 
him on that particular night; on demand, 
the custodian of the money proceeded to 



68 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



hand it over. I looked at him and wished 
he would not give it to the owner. The custo- 
dian then told the owner that he transferred 
it from his safe to the bank, whereupon 
the owner walked out. He was waylaid that 
same night. Afterward I met this custo- 
dian, and in the course of remarks asked 
him what prompted him to refuse the money 
or a portion of it on the night in question. 
He answered, "You did." I remarked that 
I made not the slightest facial sign or expres- 
sion of such an admonition. "That's all 
right," he retorted, "but you told me all 
the same." 

The very fact that one individual is in 
need of certain information or admonitions 
at certain opportune times, is a moral law 
underlying the science of telepathy and its 
allied sciences. The individual, A, reasons, 
"B should know a certain fact; I wished 
that I could tell him." B reasons, "I w T ish 
that I might know about some occurrences 
more or less remote from me." If artificial 
magnetism can convey language, why can- 
not personal magnetism duplicate the same? 
If one individual possesses the secret, why 
cannot others? The logic in this pair of 
queries admits of but one reply, and it is 
merely a reply and not an answer, namely, 
a few persons possess the power, but people 
in general do not. That is true. A con- 
servative individual will say, "I have but 
seventy years of physical life, and it will 



MESMERISM AND CMJRVOYANCY. 69 



require most of that period to learn the science 
of telepathy; I cannot waste the time." 
He sees fit not to bother about it. I believe 
that bother is a chief obstruction in the at- 
tainment of all worthy accomplishments; 
and I believe that nearly all others believe 
there is not yet organized any billion dollar 
trust for the monopoly of discovery of science. 
Last evening I picked up a magazine de- 
voted to the advancement of astronomy, 
geology and kindred sciences. My eye rested 
on an article in which the writer refuted 
the theory of some geologists who claimed 
that the earth's crust was at one time a vast 
field of ice. It matters not materially 
whether or not it was; but I am forced to 
believe that our text books that are used 
in high schools, academies and colleges, 
shall, in the near future, undergo a revision, 
however moderate that revision may be. 
My point is this: Experts and scientists of 
every degree are not as yet thoroughly 
united in the acceptance of a theory of 
demonstration. 

I have thought, in the interest of my 
readers, to insert in this work numerous in- 
stances in which telepathy, visions, clair- 
voyance and spiritualism made themselves 
manifest; the instances are so numerous 
and the authorities vouching for them so 
reliable, that it seems dire negligence to ex- 
clude them, as the matter could be readily 
obtained; however, I reasoned that a work 



70 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



of this nature will be more appreciated 
because in it I have endeavored to give an 
exposition of the laws regulating these phe- 
nomena rather than a mere recitation of 
facts of that phenomena. Galileo was 
not believed, Columbus was ridiculed, 
Napoleon was for a time underrated, but 
after a time the geographies were changed, 
histories were remodeled, war tactics amended 
and our chemistries, physiologies, mathema- 
tics and all volumes treating on the sciences 
of earth and humanity will be adjusted to 
meet the truths to come, and as it has been 
with the past, so we shall be regarded in 
the future, when the pages of history will 
teem with our wonderful deeds and knowl- 
edge, and perhaps some will say, "They 
were great with the facilities at hand, but 
their greatness is superseded by our great- 
ness.' ' It is a law constant as the lapse of 
time. 



MESMERISM AND CI.AIRVOYANCY. 71 



FAITH. 

The word jaith y devoid of its religious, 
amatory and commercial significance, means 
an exchange of optimistic sentiments between 
human beings, animals and the brute crea- 
tion. This faith may have existed between 
human beings without any apparent cause ; 
as, for instance, facial expression having a 
tendency to attract one person to another; 
or habits of one person making a favorable 
impression upon another person; or one 
person appealing, persuading, urging and 
afterward fulfilling his obligations so faith- 
fully as to be regarded trustworthy, thereby 
establishing a confidence with all directly 
concerned. A person may have faith in 
things that are to transpire in the future, 
owing to his temperament in believing that 
all things will eventually enhance his wel- 
fare; such people may have inherited this 
even frame of mind, may have acquired it 
through highly moral lives, or may have 
even been surrounded by such pleasant 
environments that no occurrences of a 
serious nature have been experienced by 
them. 

A person has faith in a horse, a dog, a cat, 
an elephant, a lion, and other animals and 



PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



brutes by association with them, thus know- 
ing how they have acted under various 
conditions, and observing the friendship 
displayed by such animals and brutes. He 
has observed the horse perform extraordinary 
work because the driver kindly urged him; 
he has noticed the dog perform useful 
work without being urged; he has no- 
ticed the cat refrain from making raids 
upon the larder, probably due to the train- 
ing received; even so, it must be ad- 
mitted he has a certain faith in that cat; 
he has noticed the elephant used in war, 
and perform in the circus; he has observed 
the obedient traits of a certain elephant; 
therefore, is never afraid of that particular 
one, and believes there is a bond of friend- 
ship between him and that elephant. We 
can go further in citing these examples, but 
if the foregoing remarks be true, the truth 
is obvious. 

Many animals and dumb brutes have 
faith. A horse can show in various ways 
that he is conscious of the approaching noon 
hour; he believes he is to be fed. If the 
master is tardy with the feed, the horse 
turns his head toward him in mute appeal; 
he holds up his hoof when being shod; he 
stands on the street without being haltered, 
while his driver or master goes into various 
buildings; he expects him to return; he is 
kind to colts; he lays with his kind com- 
panion, the dog; he walks to you when he 



MESMERISM AND CI.AIRVOYANCY. 73 



sees you eating an apple; he pushes his 
nose toward you; it may be a case of mis- 
placed confidence on his part, but he has 
faith in you to the extent that you will give 
him a bite. 

Animals have faith in each other. Two 
horses in a stable will display an intelligence 
toward each other because of their com- 
panionship; they will not show the same 
feeling toward a strange horse. Two or 
more dogs will often be found in each other's 
company, because they belong to the same 
kennel; a dog and a cat of the same house- 
hold will lie side by side; this same dog 
will cause another puss to jump over the 
moon; the dog may feel as kindly to the 
new tabby, but tabby has no immediate 
faith in that dog. You have seen a lion, a 
dog and a lamb caged together; the lion is 
not afraid of the dog, and, without doubt, 
would relish the lamb for a meal. He likes the 
dog and is very kind to the lamb. The 
dog has faith in the lion, knows the strength 
of the lion ; yet notice the interesting actions 
of that lion in complying with the wishes 
of their trainer. He sees the trainer carry 
the lion on his shoulders; the lion allows 
the dog to stand on his back; there is a 
mute but friendly understanding between 
them; one has faith in the other. 

Faith is the mainspring which regulates 
the commercial world. A owes money to 
B; he states to B that he wishes his time 



74 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



of credit extended; B usually grants the 
favor. What is the material collateral upon 
which B relies for the payment of the debt? 
Bonds, stocks, real estate, currency in banks, 
you will say. True; but do not stocks vary? 
Does not real estate depreciate? Do not 
banks fail? B relied upon one thing; he 
thought nothing serious would occur; he 
knew A to be honest, and, in plain language, 
he simply took a chance. He has faith in 
the banks, real estate, stocks and in Mr. A. 
Why will a bank pay money for a mortgage, 
for a piece of railroad paper called a bill of 
lading, or allow a well known man to slightly 
overdraw his account ? The answer is Faith. 
Why does the president of a bank or of a 
railroad or steamship company, of a gigantic 
trust, corporation, even of the United States 
Treasury, accept the figures shown in a 
balance sheet made up by the auditors? 
He believes them to be true and correct; 
at least, correct mathematically. Man is 
eternally inclined to be honest until tempta- 
tions are placed in his way. The president 
or managing officer of the corporation has 
observed that his subordinates have been 
faithful in the past, and while knowing the 
frailty of human nature, he makes up his 
mind that there are more chances of a man 
acting rightly than wrongly. In plain 
language, he takes a chance. He has ac- 
quired faith in certain people whom he 
knows. 



MESMERISM AND (XAIRVOYANCY. 75 



Probably not thirty per centum of the 
traffic of the entire world is done upon a 
cash basis. If the strongest banks in the 
world would attempt to pay all depositors 
today, where would the currency material- 
ize? It is not in the banks, because the 
banks have loaned a portion of it to people 
other than depositors who would wish to 
draw it in case of adversity. Still the banks 
have faith in the people of the world, and 
the exchange of debit and credit goes on. 

Perhaps it is not going too far to say 
that but for the faith, be it of great or small 
degree, which each person has, life would 
be unbearable. What depressing effects 
would seize the heart of a great scientist, 
inventor, author, archaeologist, philanthro- 
pist, and many others, were they to believe 
that their discoveries, inventions, researches 
and good deeds failed to be recognized, 
thus being productive of no good to them- 
selves or the world at large! More so would 
the people in the ordinary walks of life feel 
the depressing effects of a non-faith doctrine. 
Their motto would be, "To-day we live, to- 
morrow we survive." And the question 
would be forced to their minds, as it no 
doubt is in the case of thousands in the world 
to-day, "Why were we placed in the world?" 
Such a state of despair would exclude the 
truth of a past, the reality of any good in 
the present, and the lost hope of a future; 
the individual downcast, the community 



76 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



skeptical, the municipality without law and 
order, the state tottering, and the nation 
looking aghast with blanked countenance 
into an awful nothingness — perhaps praying 
for the midnight stroke of the crack of 
doom. 

Faith, in its religious aspect, has the 
effect of producing upon the individual the 
accepted truth that our lives are finally to 
be immortal; that there is a happiness beyond 
the earthly grave; that good shall be re- 
turned for good, and evil for evil; that a 
Divine Providence rules and regulates, at an 
appointed time, all the inconsistencies of 
each individual. Though religions and be- 
liefs may be enumerated by the hundreds, 
yet **the predominating idea is as above 
stated. The individual who has fixed, 
stated religious beliefs accepts the doctrine; 
the individual without fixed religious beliefs 
accepts the doctrine with some modifica- 
tions; the agnostic, perhaps, stands alone. 
Most individuals wish to be respectable; 
others wish, at least, to appear to be respect- 
able. Church, temple and synagogue have 
the effect of keeping individuals cognizant of 
their divine duties, of causing individuals to 
maintain a high order of deportment, at least 
while they are within a religious edifice, 
and causing an acquaintance with each other 
which finally offers opportunities for social 
interchange on many matters not directly 
or indirectly religious. This social inter- 



MESMERISM AND CI,AIRVOYANCY. 77 



change enters the commercial world as well 
as the home, and is partly the result of the 
church, and church is the result of religion, 
and religion is the result of Faith. 

It is thus shown that, while all church- 
goers may not be religious, their laxity does 
not render them entirely oblivious to the 
fact that a religious belief tends to enhance 
their moral standing as members of a re- 
spectable community; that, while their 
church does not seem to force their thoughts 
to dwell most sincerely on the highest reli- 
gious conception, it nevertheless is a 
medium through which is transmitted that 
invisible, intangible, holy, pervading sense 
of duty which man owes to his Creator, to 
his brother, to himself, to the mother earth 
— that ethereal goodness emanating from 
the word FAITH. 



78 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



HOPE. 

Hope is a sentiment entertained by an 
individual, wherein something is desired to 
transpire, or, having transpired, to culminate 
in unison with the sentiments of the indi- 
vidual. I will deal with hope in its relation 
to the human being. 

We hope for our progress or retrogression, 
and for the progress or retrogression of 
other human beings, animals, brutes, fowls, 
reptiles and all other forms possessing life. 
Secondly, we hope for certain changes or 
non-changes in inanimate objects of every 
description. 

To commence with self. I hope that I 
may be happy, rich, famous, virtuous, 
healthy, all of these states to transpire in 
this world; or, should I elect, in the worlr*. 
hereafter; or, and it is possible, that circum- 
stances might suggest it, I may hope for 
the reverse of these above enumerated states, 
at least during my stay in this world. I 
may be happy; I hope for a time in the 
future when I shall be happy; being unable 
or untrained to create my own happiness 
at this very instant, I accept the situation 
resignedly, unwillingly or willingly, as my 
mental powers direct; I do not know that 



MESMERISM AND CI.AIRVOYANCY. 79 



any change or cause shall ever take place 
to justify my hope. But since it has never 
been demonstrated that such changes or 
causes are impossible, and it has been demon- 
strated possible, and to say further that 
they really occur, I am forced to the side 
which has evidence of its truth, rather than 
to the side which .has no evidence of its 
possibility. The reasoning applies to every 
state in which we desire to be placed. The 
history of the world shows that the nations 
have changed in thought, in government, in 
customs, in dress, in language, and all other 
elements not as important as the foregoing. 
Radical changes have been made for the 
better or for the worse; in instances, nations 
have attempted or succeeded in retracing 
their steps to conform to former lines of 
action; in a word, there has been a change, 
individuals have observed the changes, and 
they know that should occasion demand, a 
change is not only possible but probable. 
The individual has observed changes in 
his own life; he recollects that at some time 
in his past he was either unhappier or hap- 
pier than he is at present ; that he was poorer 
or richer than at present; that his knowl- 
edge of certain things has increased or 
diminished; that his hopes were justified by 
certain events transpiring thereafter, and 
even in events which he regarded as more or 
less fatal, and which culminated in an 
agreeable and, in some cases, wished-for 



SO PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



ending. This individual rightly reasons that 
a recurrence of all these manifestations is 
possible, because he has experienced them, 
and his hopes were sometimes realized. 

Transferring the subject from self to that 
of our brother (for, speaking broadly, we 
are all brothers), it is remarkable to ooserve 
the coincidences of good feeling to a second 
person, and the good wishes of the first 
person. A says to B, "I hope you will be 
lucky in your enterprise.' ' B prospers in 
the enterprise. Let us assume that A has 
not had an opportunity to render B any 
material help; still the thought of good- 
will conveyed to B was gratifying; he knows 
of other individuals who listened to the same 
words, and some of these individuals suc- 
ceeded; if reverses should occur, B. could 
at least go to A and relate his ill-luck; A 
would at least sympathize with him, if not 
advise him; in any event, there would be a 
, division of the unhappiness for a time, sup- 
plemented by a hope for better conditions. 
This is a proof almost mathematically true; 
the hope instilled into the elements com- 
posing A and B, or either, has an elevating 
effect, and even assuming that no material 
benefit followed, a benefit of some devotion 
was, in the interim, experienced by B. 

It may be said that hope is a reserve 
which no individual is without. He may 
cast it aside as often as he will, still it forces 
itself upon him, and while imagining that 



MESMERISM AND CI.AIRVOYANCY. 81 



it is a mirage, yet he says, "I could control 
this cause; I could produce that effect; I 
wish that I. could." In his reasoning he, 
though perhaps unconsciously, proves that 
it is possible to extricate himself from his 
dilemma or attain his wish. Of course 
certain cases would require what are called 
superhuman efforts; yet if there be such 
efforts, the possibility of consummation is 
not removed. The limitations of hope can- 
not be determined. By this I mean that 
it matters not how difficult of fulfillment a 
desire seems, or that it may even require what 
is called some phenomena of nature, and 
even miraculous force, to cause a hope to be 
realized, an individual may indulge in that 
hope. For example, I may hope to be cured 
of a disease — quick consumption; I observe 
that cures are improbable; still, science has 
not demonstrated that it cannot be cured, 
and when coupled with the known fact that 
eminent physicians have discovered an anti- 
toxine which they have successfully admin- 
istered in an isolated case, it proves that 
the science of medicine is not thoroughly 
understood by any living being. The same 
may be said of chemistry; the forces of 
chemical elements are not thoroughly under- 
stood, because every chemical element is 
not known. Geology is no rigidly fixed 
science; questions arise at this very day 
concerning the age of the Niagara gorge. 
So physicians, chemists, geologists and other 



82 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



scientists disagree in the phenomena of 
earth and nature. Therefore, an individual 
may consistently hope for a new truth, a 
change, or even an upheaval of earth, new 
theories in science, religion, biology, and 
have his hopes realized. An individual 
may not hope to re-create himself in an 
image of his present physical body. That 
is why it is of no avail to hope for the new 
growth of limb or other member of the phys- 
ical body, which limb or member having 
been crushed, torn from, or amputated from 
the body; for could an individual reproduce 
a member that has been severed, he could 
also reproduce any other portion of his 
body; this would be equivalent to re-creat- 
ing himself. Man has never been able to 
perform this; therefore, man entertains no 
hope of ever being able to do so. Were he 
thus endowed, he could defy the laws of the 
universe, and prevent a survival of the 
fittest. Nothing on this planet is perman- 
ent; were not this true, there would be no 
room for new inventions; advancement in 
science, art, government, religion and general 
culture would be retarded, and would result 
in a gradual decline of the people thinking, 
because they would not hope for certain 
changes, therefore would accomplish noth- 
ing which might tend to effect the changes. 
Hope, when indulged in, is a solace to 
the mind. What hours of mental anguish 
have been shortened by the faint mental 



MESMERISM AND CI.AIRVOYANCY. 83 



image of desire that some wrong may be 
righted, that some honest action may pre- 
vail, that some undiscovered affliction may 
be compensated by some unexpected happi- 
ness! What hours of misery have been 
spent by the loving mother, the fond father, 
the trusting sister, the friendly brother, in 
their meditations over the probable loss of 
one of their family circle! And what mo- 
ments of relaxation were experienced by 
them, when comforted with information 
that the cause of their anxieties were un- 
founded, or at least were improbable! Yes, 
even hoping against hope is a faint mirage 
of peace, and it were better so; for cursed 
^ndeed would be the mental faculties of 
those who cannot hope that right will some 
day be might, that justice shall eventually 
prevail, that all things shall change, that we 
shall change with them, and some day all 
be a memory of a physical past. 



84 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OI^ 



HEALTH. 

Health is a condition of the body, and 
while our treatises on health teem with in- 
formation, it is to be observed how different 
are the opinions of physicians and scientists. 
I do not mean to be understood as saying 
that the aforementioned experts in the line 
do not agree on what means should be em- 
ployed to retain and improve health. I mean 
that they differ in their opinions of th^ 
values of certain nutritious foods, the methods 
and required quantities of ventilation, the 
modes, the energies and duration of certain 
calisthenic exercises, and the amount of sleep 
required. 

The world is becoming a sleepless race; 
eight hours for labor, eight hours for recrea- 
tion and eight hours for sleep are the three 
accepted divisions of our twenty-four hours. 
I do not know whether or not the divisions 
could be modified so that a general physical 
condition would be the result; and this 
knowledge, could it be discovered, might not 
have any effect on the average individual, 
because he would deviate to some extent 
from any newly discovered truth, as his sense 
of strength, endurance and activity might 
direct. In their present respective condi- 



MESMERISM AND CIvAIRVOYANCY. 85 



tions, some need eight hours' sleep, some ten 
hours, and so on, but not ad infinitum. It 
would be a condition to be deplored were 
an individual compelled to labor twelve hours, 
then allowed to rest but twelve hours; and 
it would be a condition in physical, mental 
and mathematical violation of all earthly- 
laws were an individual compelled to work 
thirteen hours, then allowed to rest but 
eleven hours; so if the eight hour allotment 
is not physiologically perfect, it is a good rule, 
and a better one than most of us employ. 
The man who works day in and day out at 
manual labor of an exhausting nature needs 
more than eight hours; the woman who is 
compelled to work in any manufacturing 
establishment for nine hours a day, at duties 
wnich admit of no variety of turn or conge- 
nial elements, needs more than eight hours. 
Speaking generally, those who are placed in 
many positions in life, of which I cite but 
the two above classes, are not favorably situ- 
ated to take the needed time for sleep. The 
only facts which may contradict my state- 
ment are, that those so unfavorably situated 
are not restricted by any law to eight, nine 
or ten hours' sleep ; that they are at liberty 
to control their hour or two of evening chat 
or other recreation; that they are at liberty 
to curtail the time spent in intellectual ad- 
vancement; that they should, in a word, 
renounce any pleasure or duty interfering 
with their needed rest. 



86 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



The other side of the story reveals the 
fact that those whose daily work admits of 
time for recreation and sleep do not, as a 
rule, take advantage of the time set apart 
for sleep; they go to work at nine o'clock 
in the morning, quit at five o'clock in the 
afternoon and do not retire until midnight. 
These two phases of the subject, represent- 
ing individuals whose occupations are not 
congenial and those whose occupations are 
relatively congenial, will suffice to show that 
one law of health is not within favorable 
control of certain classes, and is within the 
favorable control of other classes; and as the 
law is violated by those who are in a favor- 
able position in relation to it, it follows that 
it would be violated were all classes in favor- 
able control of the needed time. 

A word about alcoholic and narcotic stim- 
ulants. It is presumption to dwell on 
the evil effects of these two stimulants, for 
the reason that they are handled so ably, 
up to the present day, by eminent physiol- 
ogists, chemists and physicians. I shall 
merely say, how remarkable is the force of 
habit ! Some persons believe that liquors and 
beers are a tonic. Granted. But why are 
these same persons so prone to indulge in 
them at regular intervals, whether or not they 
need a tonic ? And why do they indulge to a 
greater extent than that which would be 
necessary as a tonic, and greater than would 
be necessary to allay thirst? No law, no 



MESMERISM AND CI.AIRVOYANCY. 87 



custom, no obligation forces a, person to drink 
quors and beers to that extent which under- 
lines his system; he uses a greater quantity 
lan he needs, yes, a greater quantity than 
is sense of taste craves, merely because it 
is customary with some one else to do the 
same. He wants to satisfy himself with the 
pleasure inherent in such a custom. He also 
smokes tobacco; he knows it is more or less 
harmful; yet he wills that he use it, and 
discover and partake of the pleasure because 
he has observed others using the weed and ap- 
parently enjoying themselves in the indul- 
gence. Place these same individuals in 
course of training for an athletic con- 
test, and no admonition will be necessary; 
they will voluntarily discard their drinking 
and smoking, or else modify their use to the 
minimum limit. 

In our diet we generally aim to please the 
palate instead of our whole organism; we 
eat everything that is placed on the market 
and branded as an edible. Whether any 
particular bill of fare is, in all climates and 
under any circumstances, the best, is a 
question that can be answered by saying no; 
but whether certain articles could be dis- 
pensed with in any climate can be answered 
by saying yes. A striking illustration of our 
belief that all kinds of meats and artistically 
manufactured or carefully prepared confec- 
tions are necessary is afforded by observing 
the volume of trade in these lines. How 



88 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



familiar is that salutation received when, on 
entering a restaurant, you are greeted with 
the words, "roast beef/' "beefsteak," "lamb 
chops," "ham and eggs," "tea or coffee," "pie 
or pudding!" The roast beef is not so soft 
and juicy as the beef that you get at home; 
the beefsteak is somewhat tough; the ham 
is thin and somewhat crisp; the tea and 
coffee are merely fluids; the pie and pud- 
ding are acceptable, and at any rate are not 
so harmful. Then let us say a word about 
the hotels, where the patronage is varied, and 
people of various climates expect a wide bill 
of fare from which to select. After the soup 
comes the roast beef, turkey, fricassee chicken, 
nitro-glycerine sausages, crab apples, harvey- 
ized peaches and peas and pensioned bananas. 
What a glorious fete would Napoleon have 
had at Moscow, Wagram, Austerlitz, Jena 
and Waterloo had his soldiers regaled them- 
selves with our seven-course dinners on a 
two-course stomach! How Plato would have 
been inspired in his wisdom; how Plutarch 
would have distorted his Lives into a modern 
"Strong Men" show; and Sir Isaac Newton 
would have written his Principia on the plan 
of a short cut arithmetic, or, better still, 
"Queries and Puzzles" for young folks! The 
celebrated Tesla says that a radical reform 
should be effected in the character of our food. 
All animals have blood circulating in their 
bodies. That portion of the blood going from 
the heart is pure ; the other portion is impure 

L.cfC." 



MESMERISM AND CI<AIRVOYANCY. 



and must go to the lungs for purification. 
When an animal is killed, some of its blood 
has not been purified by the lungs ; it follows 
that the flesh of that animal is tainted to 
some extent at the very instant of death 
and more so as time advances. Therefore, 
the argument advanced by some practical 
people, that the best beef obtainable has 
more muscle-building power than any vege- 
tables or cereals, is fallacious; the beef in 
question may invigorate the system for a 
short period, but its effect is not permanent. 
It has always been taught that meat should 
be more thoroughly masticated than any 
other article of food. If that be true, why is 
it that some people who thoroughly masti- 
cate it are dyspeptics, and others who dis- 
regard the mastication are not dyspeptics? 
If lions, tigers, cats and others of the feline 
family swallow meat without first chewing it, 
it follows that the meat fibers become sepa- 
rated by the process of rapid decomposition, 
and our custom of boiling and roasting it 
renders it still easier of digestion; still they 
say it does not digest. The fault is this: It 
has not been proven that meat should or 
should not be masticated; it has not been 
proven that meat alone can sustain human 
life as it does animal life, and it has been 
proven that human life can be sustained 
without the use of meat. 

The free use of tea and coffee is more in- 
jurious than the free use of probably any 



90 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



other form of food. Some one called these 
twin beverages, "the woman's intoxicant." 
The description is apt enough. Take people 
in the far East and some in South America 
and Mexico, who are confirmed tea and coffee 
drinkers, and you will observe that they are 
somewhat obtuse-minded people; that, while 
they are able to concentrate their minds on 
their daily tasks, they have not the versa- 
tile abilities of others in the same country 
with them; and though climate affects all 
of them, there are those who by indepen- 
dent customs are more advanced in mental 
powers than their near-by brothers. Tea and 
coffee act on the nerves in somewhat the 
same manner as the tobacco habit, and the 
most that may be said in their favor is, that 
they excite agreeable emotions, and the least 
that may be said against them is, they are 
partly of the drug family. 

The use of gymnasiums is one of the 
factors in developing the body, and it is 
appreciated to a zealous extent by those who 
patronize them . The effect of the gymnasium 
is far reaching, and at this day no communi- 
ties of importance are to be found in which 
there are not some persons who frequent a 
gymnasium. To those who cannot afford 
the money or time, there is still left the 
privilege of calisthenic exercises; and it 
seems unexplainable why it is not indulged 
in to a greater extent; it costs nothing but 
a short period of time each day. In some 



MESMERISM AND CI.AIRVOYANCY. 91 



if not all of the United States barracks, the 
first exercise in the morning is a drill in 
calisthenic exercises; in the warm seasons 
the soldiers are assembled on the parade 
grounds and put through the arm, leg, body, 
chest and other simple but highly effective 
movements, and without the use of dumb- 
bells, Indian clubs or wands. Such exer- 
cises develop lung power, strength a -nd elastic- 
ity of limb, circulation of the blood, and 
not a little addition to perfecting the dimen- 
sions of both body and limbs; yet others 
who have as much time at their disposal 
as would be requisite for the simple exercises 
do not employ much time to that advantage. 
They make it a practice to arrange their time 
so that they may have just time enough to 
dress, eat breakfast, then start to work. It 
is the same as . with eating — of no avail to 
impress upon them the benefits to be derived 
from some habits called calisthenic exercises, 
though it costs them nothing. 

Daily bathing is another factor in the 
laws of health. It is known that among the 
poorer classes this ablutionary luxury is 
merely known and not practiced. The com- 
mittees of public works in our cities are, in 
a great measure, responsible for the fact 
that favorable bathing facilities are ^iot in- 
stalled in every dwelling where a man, 
woman or child dwells. The space required 
is not of much value. The accepted objec- 
tion is that plumbing and water supply 



92 PRACTICAL TEACHINGS OF 



entail additional expense. They seldom 
think of expenses when establishing a large 
police force, a large army of political school 
teachers, battalions of municipal clerks, and 
it has been proven, certain supernumeraries, 
to the maximum limit; thus all classes are 
not within favorable facilities; but it can- 
not be denied that nearly all are in possession 
of favorable facilities — merely soap and 
water. This argument resolves itself into 
another demonstration of the fact, that we 
are generally prone to avoid that which 
requires inconvenience on our part; another 
instance of how we neglect our health. 

The individual who accepts circumstances 
as they come has a pleasant word for all; 
he condemns nothing without first using 
his powers of perception . Such a man may 
not be an athlete, but his health is better 
than that of a fretter, or he imagines it is, 
which is nearly the same thing. He who is 
constantly worrying about to-morrow is 
undermining his health by causing abnormal 
quantities of blood to flow to the brain, 
weakening his nerves and causing his flesh 
and muscles to become loose and flabby. 
His thinking power becomes confused, his 
utterances are not indicative of reflection, 
and a state of absent-mindedness, to some 
extent, is observable in every individual who 
worries upon every occasion when things do 
not transpire according to his expectations. 
Recollect some occasion when you felt de- 



MESMERISM AND CI<AIRVOYANCY. 93 



pressed, and shortly afterward received 
news of some good fortune falling to your 
lot. Did you not then feel active, pleasant 
and even equal to performing difficult tasks? 
You looked pleasant because you felt so; 
fatigue left you; you forgot your real or 
imaginary weakness. Now think of the 
nervous days spent in worry, and how much 
better your health could have been had you 
not worried; furthermore, the worry was 
useless, having caused no plan of action to 
change your state, and things transpired for 
the good. Care will kill a cat, and constant 
worry will kill an individual. 

It is not so easy to acquire a genial tempera- 
ment as it is to acquire a correct habit with 
regard to sleeping, eating, bathing, exercise 
and other duties. But it costs nothing but 
will power to endeavor to assume a restful 
state of mind . Recollect that misfortunes are 
general, and that somebody must help to 
bear the general load; that if you were un- 
justly assigned to part of the work, some- 
body else was chosen to bear the other part ; 
that there is an earthly end to all these 
irregularities, and as some individuals have 
learned this and seemed to be more contented 
thereby, so it may be with yourself; and as 
you owe it to yourself to maintain and im- 
prove your general health by training your- 
self to indulge in hopeful thoughts and 
kindly deeds, you violate the law of nature 
to your own detriment if you act otherwise, 



